MADISON The ACLU of Wisconsin today denounced consideration of a proposal in the Wisconsin State Assembly that would prevent local governments from restricting the use of no-knock warrants by law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Assembly Bill 834 would strip local jurisdictions of their authority to restrain an officers ability to carry out a no-knock warrant a tactic that allows law enforcement to enter an individuals residence without first announcing their presence.<\/p>\n
Between 2010 and 2016, 81 civilians and 13 law enforcement officers died during no-knock and quick-knock raids across the country.<\/p>\n
For the Wisconsin State Legislature just weeks after police in Minnesota fatally shot 22-year-old Amir Locke within 10 seconds of unexpectedly raiding his home to take up legislation prohibiting local jurisdictions from regulating no-knock warrants shows a callous disregard for the senseless casualties that unannounced searches have caused, said Abby Kanyer, community engagement manager of the ACLU of Wisconsin.<\/p>\n
Following the nationwide outcry over the unjust killing of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman shot by police who entered her apartment during an unannounced raid, the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission moved to ban Milwaukee police from executing no-knock warrants.<\/p>\n
No-knock raids are a relic of the racist War on Drugs, and conducting them puts both the safety of the public and the police at unnecessary risk. We believe no-knock tactics should be done away with altogether, let alone not shielded from any attempt at reform. As Black History Month comes to a close, we hope state leaders can take a moment to reflect on the grim history of no-knock warrants and how they have been used in a way that actively harms Black communities across this country, said Melinda Brennan, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin.<\/p>\n
An ACLU report found that in 35% of the reported drug raids conducted via no-knock warrants, only small amounts of drugs were located; in 36% of the raids, law enforcement found nothing.<\/p>\n
Additionally, no-knock warrants disproportionately impact poor communities of color. Between 2011 and 2012, 39% of raids affected Black people, 11% affected Hispanics, 20% white Americans, and 30% were unknown because of insufficient police data.<\/p>\n
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ACLU of Wisconsin Opposes Assembly Bill That Would Prevent Restrictions of No-Knock Search Warrants - aclu-wi.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MADISON The ACLU of Wisconsin today denounced consideration of a proposal in the Wisconsin State Assembly that would prevent local governments from restricting the use of no-knock warrants by law enforcement. Assembly Bill 834 would strip local jurisdictions of their authority to restrain an officers ability to carry out a no-knock warrant a tactic that allows law enforcement to enter an individuals residence without first announcing their presence. Between 2010 and 2016, 81 civilians and 13 law enforcement officers died during no-knock and quick-knock raids across the country Continue reading